Water Damage Restoration in Mill Basin

Two kinds of water damage in Mill Basin

Water from inside. Burst pipes, failed water heaters and appliance leaks happen here like anywhere. The difference is size. Larger homes mean more bathrooms, more fixtures and more supply lines, and a leak on an upper floor can travel a long way through ceilings and walls before anyone notices it.

Water from outside. When a big storm lines up with a high tide, water from the bay can come up into the neighborhood. Sandy showed in 2012 how far that water can reach, and any strong coastal storm can bring it back. Outside floodwater is treated as Category 3, meaning contaminated, because it carries whatever it picked up on the way in.

The category decides almost everything about the job, so it's the first thing we figure out.

Finished basements and high-end finishes

Many basements here are fully finished, with custom millwork, hardwood or stone floors, home offices, and the boiler and mechanical equipment for the house.

With clean water from a pipe, caught early, a lot of that can often be dried in place, hardwood floors included. After outside floodwater, porous materials like drywall, insulation and carpet usually have to come out, because they can't be reliably cleaned. Boilers, water heaters and electrical panels that sat in water should be checked by a licensed tech before anyone turns them back on.

Flood insurance vs. homeowners insurance

This is the question most Mill Basin owners ask first. A standard homeowners policy generally covers sudden water from inside the house, like a burst pipe. It generally does not cover water that came in from outside during a storm. That falls under flood insurance, which is a separate policy. Your agent can tell you what you have. Either way, we document the cause clearly, because that's what the claim turns on.

The first 48 hours after storm water gets in

• Don't switch on anything that sat in water until a licensed tech has checked it
• Photograph the water line on the walls before cleanup starts. It shows exactly how high the water reached
• Photograph damaged belongings before they're thrown out, so your adjuster has a record
• Get the water out and air moving fast. A warm, closed basement gives mold an easy start

Flood claims also run on deadlines. Under a federal flood policy, a signed proof of loss is generally due within 60 days of the flood, so it pays to start the paperwork early.

What flood insurance covers in a basement

Flood insurance through the federal program covers less in a basement than most people expect. Finished walls, finished floors and most belongings stored down there are generally not covered. Equipment like the furnace, water heater, washer, dryer and electrical panel generally is. Your agent can confirm exactly what your policy says, and it's worth knowing before you finish or refinish a basement in a flood zone.

Leaks that start upstairs

In larger homes, laundry rooms and bathrooms are often on the second floor. When a washing machine hose or toilet supply line fails up there, the water comes down through the ceiling, runs along the joists, and can show up as stains or drips in a room nowhere near the source. We trace it back with moisture readings and a thermal camera so every wet spot gets dried, not just the one you can see. See ceiling water damage.

Protecting a Mill Basin basement going forward

If you're rebuilding after a flood, a few choices make the next one easier to recover from:

• Raise the boiler, water heater and electrical panel off the floor where you can
• Use tile, sealed concrete or other finishes that can get wet and be cleaned, instead of carpet and laminate
• Ask about closed-cell foam or other water-resistant insulation for below-grade walls
• Add a battery backup to the sump pump, since storms knock out power
• Have a plumber look at a backwater valve on the main sewer line

None of this stops a storm surge, but it can turn a full gut job into a cleanup.